When author Tembi Locke’s mother-in-law came to L.A. to see her cancer-stricken son over the holidays, she arrived with a suitcase filled with braided garlic, specialty cheeses, tomatoes, olive oil, almonds, and lots of dried figs. Intent on soothing hearts, Locke’s mother-in-law took to making cuccidati (“little bracelet”), the traditional Sicilian Christmas cookies. In this article, Locke recounts what these small, buttery cookies taught her about her own grief, her mother-in-law, and the power of forgiveness.
Both the dough and the fruity, nutty filling for these classic Italian holiday cookies come together quickly in a food processor. Nonpareils (tiny round sprinkles) are the traditional adornment, but lemon zest or chopped pistachios are great too. The orange zest in the filling, though optional, really makes the flavors sing.
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Ingredients
Makes 16–20
DOUGH
⅓
cup (67 g) granulated sugar
1
tsp. baking powder
½
tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
2
cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
½
cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
FILLING AND ASSEMBLY
1⅓
cups chopped dried figs
2
Tbsp. chopped dried apricots
2
Tbsp. raisins
2
Tbsp. chopped raw almonds
2
Tbsp. chopped raw pistachios
2
Tbsp. orange marmalade
2
tsp. honey
1
tsp. finely grated orange zest (optional)
½
tsp. instant espresso powder (optional)
¼
tsp. ground cinnamon
All-purpose flour (for surface)
1
cup (110 g) powdered sugar
1
Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Multicolored nonpareils, chopped pistachios, and/or finely grated lemon zest (for decorating; optional)
Preparation
-
DOUGH
Step 1
Pulse granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and 2 cups (250 g) flour in a food processor to combine. Add butter and process until mixture is the consistency of wet sand, 10–15 seconds. Add eggs and pulse until a ball of dough forms.
Step 2
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a fat cylinder. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour.
Do Ahead: Dough can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
-
FILLING AND ASSEMBLY
Step 3
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Pulse figs, apricots, raisins, almonds, pistachios, marmalade, honey, orange zest (if using), espresso powder (if using), and cinnamon in clean food processor until finely chopped but not puréed.
Step 4
Unwrap dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle slightly larger than 10×8″. (If dough cracks around the edges, just push it together; it’s quite forgiving.) Rotate dough so a long side is nearest to you, dusting with more flour if needed. Trim dough to measure 10×8″, then halve lengthwise to make two 10×4″ rectangles.
Step 5
Using wet hands, roll half of filling into a 10″ cylinder and arrange down length of 1 rectangle of dough. Fold long side of dough nearest to you over filling and roll up to encase filling; gently press seam to seal. Roll log seam side down and rock back and forth to secure. Trim ends. Slice log in half crosswise, then slice each half into 1″-thick rounds (you should have 4 or 5 rounds each). Place rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing about ½” apart (the cookies won’t spread much). Repeat process with second rectangle of dough and remaining filling; arrange on baking sheet.
Step 6
Bake cookies until pale golden underneath and firm, 17–22 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Step 7
Whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth. Icing should be thick but pourable (slightly thicker than heavy cream); thin with water if needed.
Step 8
Set wire rack with cookies inside baking sheet. Spoon icing over cookies and immediately sprinkle with nonpareils, pistachios, and/or lemon zest as desired. Let cookies sit until icing is set, 10–15 minutes.
Do Ahead: Cookies can be made 2 weeks ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
